The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-25
MEMPHIS APPEAL
WEDNESDAY, MAY Is, 1887
FEDERAL Alb TO PUBLIC EDU.
CAPTAIN

iticians, who have thus set themselves
against the spirit and progress OF the
age, the presidents Of the founders oil
she Republic and the laws and Gus
toms Of the government. They assume
that for State to accept aid for Its
public schools is to encourage q neW
and heterodox idea, to consent
to its own degradation, and that II the
Federal Government grants such aid
II will be introducing confusion into
our system TO break down the force
and strength OF State independence,
undermining the barriers that properly
separate the States responsibilities
from those OF the National Government
and lead the citizen away from the
State to look to the central power as
the source OF all political life. In
view OF the history Of the United
States this is new view. 1t Ia one in
diametric opposition to the theory and
practice Of the National Government,
which has always iostered and en-
couraged the education Of the people
as essential TO the safety Of the coun-
try and the welfare OF the citizen.
To bsgin with we enumerate the edu-
cational ablishments just now main
tanned by the General Government,
There are the schools upon various
reservations iJr the education OF the
Indians, the chools at Hampton, Va,
and Carlisle, Pa, for that purpose,
the West Point and Naval academies,
the Smithsonian Institution and Ma
tional Museum, the Congressional
Library, the geological and coast sur
veys, the chronological Bureau, and
the agricultural and scientific
investigations carried on under the
auspices OF the Interior Department,
and the Bureau Of Education which Is
as the very heart and head OF the
whole educational system Of the
United States, private as wellas pub
lie. 30 much for existing institutions,
the maintenance Of which each year
costs many hundreds OF thousands Of
dollars. Going back to the days oil
the old confederation, before the con.
stitution was adopted and the United
Safes had anything like national
stability, we fnd that Mr.. Jefferson,
the very head and front Of Democracy,
the ever living standard by which all
good and true Democrats are willing
10 be tried-we find that in May oil
1884 he reported an ordinance that
passed In May Of the following year
prohibiting slavery in the territory Of
the Northwest, encouraging liberty
and morality and setting apart the
sixteenth section Of every township
OF public lands for school purposes
Here was muniHcence, a princel
and royal estate for the encouragement
of liberty and morality. 1t is est
mated that the value OF those section
set apart, in only few OF the States
be 1t remembered, has been set dowr
At $7I,000,000. But, besides this
Ohio received so, 100 acres Of publ,
land for higher education, aud thu
States OF Iowa, Wisconsin and Michi
gan have Melted an aggregate OF 50,
10000 from the lands granted then
by the government for their univer
sites. In addition TO all this muni6
cence on the part Of the Federal Gov
eminent, agricultural and mechanics
colleges were endowed in each Of tn
States with great bodies Of land tbs
have, up to this time, brought tn
Gum Of S4,S02,000. The total OF thes
grants Of public land by the FederI
Government in aid OF public educ
ton amounts to 1858, 439 acres
twice rs many as are contained
England and Wales (37 1924 .SS3). b.
this ia not all, BY various laws
certain per cent. OF the sale Of land
the general government in some
the States has been turned over
them for school purposes, amountir
to per cent. OF the whole. ThI
there are special grants 10 education
and eleemosynary institutions
$50 acres to the Lafayet
University, 100 to the Holy Cross M
sion, over $4,000 acres for the educ
ton Ct the dsSf and dumb Of Ke
lucky, $4,000 acres for the educate
# the deaf mutes Of Hartford, Con
400 to the Pine Grove Academy, a
large amounts 10 several towns Of M
aouri. The three installments OF /
surplus in the public treasury (oy
842,OO0,OO0) divided ia 1885 among
States, sos, 5S4 for each member
Congress, WAS devoted by many OF I
States to public education Geor
acting apart 100000, Alabs
100000, and Kentucky $s50,0I
Tennessee also setting apart her p
ton. And as late as the last sess
Of Congress a fund Ct $250,00 '
set apart to be "divided equally for
nae # the blind in the several @
gressional Dis.ricts." With 60 ov
whelmtng a weight Of testimony
favor Of f, deral aid to education a
settled policy, even before the c
stitu,ion was adopted, how
any Democrat with consistent face
up an opposition to it2 After acct
Ing so mach Of Federal aid to Il
public school and higher edr
tional systems how can any s.
in the Northwest oppose
petition Of the Southern States
Federal aid in the work OF educa
the negro, especially in view oil